1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper feeder cassette, especially to a paper feeder cassette that is attached to an image forming device and stores a plurality of sheets of paper for printing to be supplied to an image forming section and the like. In addition, the present invention relates to an image forming device including the paper feeder cassette.
2. Background Information
An electrophotographic type image forming device includes an image forming section that forms an image onto a sheet of paper based on image information, a fixing section for fixing the image formed by the image forming section onto a sheet of paper, a paper feeding section for storing a sheet of paper that forms an image on its surface, and a paper transporting section for transporting a sheet of paper to the image forming section and the fixing section. In the image forming device, a sheet of paper fed from the paper feeding section is transported to the image forming section, and an image is formed on the sheet of paper by the image forming section based on the image information. Then, the sheet of paper on whose surface the image is formed by the image forming section is transported to the fixing section by the paper transporting section, and the image is fixed onto the sheet of paper by the fixing section. The sheet of paper onto which an image is fixed is discharged to the outside of the image forming device.
Here, the paper feeding section includes a paper feeder cassette that stores a plurality of sheets of paper to be used for printing, rollers for feeding a sheet of paper to the paper transporting section, and the like. As described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. JP-U-H04-100131 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-H11-139572, the paper feeder cassette includes a bottom part, a disposition plate that is disposed above the bottom part and disposes a plurality of sheets of paper thereon, and a pair of support plates that moves relative to the bottom part and supports both width-directional sides of a sheet of paper. In addition, the disposition plate is generally configured that its one end moves to an upper side when it rotates around its other end. In this type of paper feeder cassette, a cutout is formed in the both width-directional ends of the disposition plate in order to prevent the disposition plate from interfering with the pair of support plates when one end of the disposition plate moves in the up-and-down direction.
As described above, a cutout is formed in both width-directional end portions of the disposition plate in the conventional paper feeder cassette. Accordingly, it is difficult to avoid that an edge portion is formed on the brim of the cutout. On the other hand, when a plurality of sheets of paper is supplied to the paper feeder cassette of this type, one end of the bundle of paper is often disposed on the disposition plate, and the bundle of paper is arranged in an appropriate position on the disposition plate while being slid in a paper transporting direction. During the paper supply operation, the end of the bundle of paper gets stuck with the edge portion formed on the brim of the cutout of the disposition plate, and may be prevented from being smoothly disposed on the disposition plate.
Also, some of the paper feeder cassettes may be configured to have a pair of support plates with a protrusion for supporting a sheet of paper. Here, the protrusion protrudes from the support plates in a direction approximately perpendicular to the support plate. When a plurality of sheets of paper is set in the paper feeder cassette of this type, the sheets of paper may be disposed between the pair of support plates while being slid between the pair of support plates. In this case, the sheets of paper get stuck with the protrusion, and thus it is difficult to dispose the sheets of paper on the paper feeder cassette.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved paper feeder cassette and image forming device. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.